Grassley hopeful for resolution on Syria

Thursday

Sep 12, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By CHRISTINIA CRIPPES ccrippes@thehawkeye.com

Sen. Charles Grassley laid out a bleak scenario for diplomatic talks about to start with Russia to negotiate a peaceful means of removing chemical weapons from Syria, before the Iowa Republican stated he'd rather take an optimistic view.

"I want to be hopeful and prayerful, and I am, so I'm going to reserve judgment, and I think it will succeed," he said during a conference call with reporters Wednesday.

After President Barack Obama's Tuesday night address, where he requested Congress delay voting on a resolution to approve limited air strikes in Syria over its government's use of chemical weapons on civilians, Grassley said in a statement the diplomatic negotiations need to be considered, "if credible and enforceable."

He said Wednesday the president's request also stalled any further discussion in Congress of taking military action. A scheduled confidential briefing was canceled.

"I think you're going to have a few days of discussion of it on the Senate floor, but no votes are scheduled, and obviously, nobody is going to want to interfere -andnbsp;at least, I hope they don't want to interfere -andnbsp;with the possibility of getting rid of these chemical weapons in a more peaceful way than Tomahawk missiles, and so I think people going to be somewhat reserved," Grassley said.

He added, however, that based on Obama's Tuesday speech, he suspects if the diplomatic negotiations fail, Congress will weigh a resolution for a limited air strike on Syria and Tomahawk missiles likely will be fired.

The area's delegation was leaning against supporting a resolution if diplomatic negotiations fail.

After Tuesday's speech, Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-2nd District, said he opposed an air strike because there are too many unanswered questions.

His colleague across the river, Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-17th District, restated her "commitment to listening to the people" in her Illinois district.

Like Grassley, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, stated his hope for a peaceful resolution through diplomatic efforts.

While Grassley did not go as far as Loebsack in stating his opposition, he said he's been leaning against authorizing military action, and the president's speech helped move him farther away from saying "yes."

"I'm still of the position, leaning against, maybe after hearing the president, more strongly leaning against," Grassley said, "but I still think if there are secret briefings that give me more information, I need to reserve some judgment for those meetings."

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